Andorra firefighters end overtime protest after Govern commitments deal

Firefighters have ended the overtime protest they began on 11 September, the SIB A118 union announced, with the measures lifted from Monday 19 October.

The decision was approved by a majority of members in a consultation of affiliates, and followed weeks of meetings with the Govern and the formalisation of an agreement on commitments covering safety and service conditions in the fire prevention and extinction corps. The union said it views that agreement favourably.

The action had involved refusing voluntary overtime and external training, launched in response to what the union described as a lack of progress in negotiations with the executive.

Among the most significant encounters was a meeting in early October between SIB A118 representatives and head of government Xavier Espot, Public Function Minister Marc Rossell and Justice and Interior Minister Ester Molné. That meeting produced advances on the career plan, workplace safety and professional conditions, but the union opted at that stage to keep its pressure measures in place.

Progress announced at the time included recognition of 1.67% per year worked in the salary repositioning under the new career plan, up from the 1.33% initially proposed by the executive. Application was set in two phases: 40% in 2027 and the remaining 60% in 2028, while staff recruited before 2010 could reach the full amount in 2027 if they could evidence the required training. Advances were also reported in occupational safety and health, with commitments on decontamination, personal protective equipment, health surveillance and the rollout of the relevant regulations.

Other issues, including Mútua contributions and the counting of specialties for retirement, remained under study, with no agreement apparently reached among the main parties involved.

SIB A118 has nonetheless warned that implementation deadlines still need to be settled. The union called on the Govern to jointly establish the necessary meetings and monitoring mechanisms to set a calendar for carrying out the commitments and to ensure they translate into effective improvements. It also said it recognises and values the executive's willingness to talk and to listen to the collective's demands, and to move toward solutions.

It thanked members for their participation and sustained effort during the period of mobilisation, which it considers decisive in advancing the collective's demands, and reaffirmed its willingness to keep working with the executive on the basis of dialogue, responsibility and respect for the commitments made.

The union, which is practically the only organisation representing the interests of the corps, has also highlighted wider demands, including renewal of the vehicle fleet and attention to shortcomings in facilities. It argues the fleet is not merely a question of modernisation but a safety and emergency-response necessity. On installations, it has identified deficiencies in maintenance, conditions in some rest areas and the separation of clean spaces from potentially contaminated zones. Firefighters work 24-hour shifts and handle equipment that may be contaminated after interventions. While accepting that their profession carries risks, they reject the idea that vocation can justify hazards that could be avoided with more resources, organisation or prevention. Beyond fires, they respond to floods, structural collapses, gas leaks, industrial accidents, road emergencies, mountain rescues and extreme weather events.